After winning gold, Aly Raisman immediately put her medal around her longtime coach
When the U.S. women’s gymnastics team won gold in the team all-around Tuesday, Needham native Aly Raisman had one person in particular she wanted to share her moment — and medal — with.
After the team photos, Raisman immediately walked over to her longtime gymnastics coach Mihai Brestyan, of Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club in Burlington, placed her medal around his neck, and gave him a big hug.
@Aly_Raisman going immediately to Mihai after team pics to put her🏅around him ❤️😭️💙 #FinalFive @shutupbuck pic.twitter.com/EDI1aywEsN
— Brestyan Legs (@BrestyanLegs) August 9, 2016
Raisman responded to the touching video in a tweet saying, “It’s the least I can do after everything!”
Coaches never get medals. It’s the least I can do after everything! https://t.co/yxCriFgOXJ
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) August 10, 2016
Brestyan has worked as the personal coach to the Olympian for years, seeing her through her last Olympics in 2012 as well. He moved to the U.S. from Israel and opened his first American gym in Ashland in 2000. He then relocated to Burlington, where Raisman trains, in 2006.
Brestyan wasn’t the only coach who got some love after Team USA’s victory.
Raisman, along with teammates Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian, nicknamed themselves the “Final Five” in honor of longtime national team coordinator Martha Karolyi, who is retiring this year.
https://twitter.com/Simone_Biles/status/763493867375198208
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